Will Netflix's 'Sprint Track Series' Return for Season 2? What We Know So Far

Will Netflix's 'Sprint Track Series' Return f...

By Jocelyn Alano August 23, 2024 14:54

Photo by Netflix

Released on July 2, 2024, 'Sprint' is the most recent of many haunting sports documentaries on Netflix. This six-part docuseries from the team behind 'Drive to Survive' gives an insight into the lives of elite sprinters as they gear up for and race at the 2023 World Athletics Championships in Budapest.

The series explains the paths of elite athletes like Sha'Carri Richardson, Noah Lyles, Marcell Jacobs, and Shericka Jackson at the highest level of professional sprinting. The combination of personal stories, competition, and drama behind the scenes has made "Sprint" a hot-button topic among sports fans and those simply curious.

Summary and Reception Season 1

Season one of "Sprint" contains six episodes that drill into different facets of the world surrounding sprinters and those athletes who conquer it. The episodes are titled:

Heir to the Throne

Queens
Belonging
Trials & Tribulations
The Gold Standard
The Double is Alive

We follow the athletes as they battle it out on a global stage in some of their bigger competitions, from the Wanda Diamond League to performances at this year's World Athletics Championships Budapest 23.

Sprint has received favorable reviews, with critics decrying the series' focus on "intimacy" in its coverage of athletes and production quality more immediately at par with Drive to Survive, especially at a time when the series finds itself in such standing for bringing accessibility and rendering competitive track & field watchable to new, untrained audiences for better or worse.

Signs of a Season 2

There has been no official word yet from Netflix on a second Sprint series. Nevertheless, here are some of the things that are indicating a potential renewal:

Part of a trend: There is certainly an appetite for sports documentary content on the streamer, with Netflix finding success through other series from the world already after Drive to Survive and Full Swing are both set for multiple renewals. A second season is not out of the question if "Sprint" pulls in similar streams and engagement numbers.

Continuing stories: Track and field is an ever-changing sport with frequent moving pieces, new stars, rivalries, and records each season.

Athlete and fan excitement: Many athletes and sports fans on social media have shared that they are excited about joining this series. But if that means a larger fanbase and more people watching, then Netflix may pull the trigger on renewing the show.

Predictions and Analysis

Several factors combine to make it likely that it's too soon to say definitively whether Sprint will be back for a second season.

Relevance: The Paris Olympics just ended, offering the series a built-in hook that could dovetail nicely with increased interest in track and field.

Campaigning: The use of top-tier drivers and sportsmen helps bolster the series' appeal and marketability.

Global sport: Track and field went well with Netflix's efforts to cater to a global audience.

Should it return, Season 2 of 'Sprint' would probably otherwise be structured similarly to the first iteration. Still, it should be based on preparation for and play during future Olympic Games, possibly in Paris in 2024.

Viewers have yet to learn whether the series will return for a second season, as 'Sprint's future is in the air. However, its impact is clear: It is the first to be granted access behind the scenes in elite sprinting and an important show of humanizing those who truly break the barriers of what we thought possible with human speed.

For the time being, those who enjoy the show can relive some of its compelling storytelling in season 1 while waiting for Netflix to reveal any future plans for this influential sports docuseries.

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